In the children’s story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the title character samples three dishes of porridge. She finds one to be too hot, one to be too cold, and finally, one to be just right. Interestingly, most of us have experience with this concept. It might be sipping a cup of coffee on the porch on a cool summer morning. Or, it might be sitting on a beach, watching the sunset on the horizon, or gazing out over a valley from a mountain peak. It is that rare moment when we find that life seems in perfect harmony.

Modern science has adopted this concept to describe the conditions that allow the earth to exist and support life. The placement of the earth in relationship to the sun is termed “the Goldilocks zone.”

The orbit of our planet around the sun is just right – neither too close nor too far. This allows water to exist in liquid form, an essential component of our environment. It allows the environment to be moderate enough to permit life to flourish. Even the tilt of the earth that creates the seasons is part of the equation.

But this is no frivolous fairy tale. It is, in fact, another example of the subtle proof that we owe our existence to that higher power we call God.

That set of circumstances our science calls “the Goldilocks Zone” is but a small part of the cosmic environment that permits us to exist. If we were to add in the orbital mechanics of our solar system, the celestial pattern of our Galaxie, the effects of the moon, the protective shield of our atmosphere, and the incalculable number of other factors, known and unknown, we would soon realize the circumstances of our world are too complex to be calculated, regardless of our computer power.

In short, it would require a super-intellect, and powers beyond our ability to comprehend. And to those who would doubt, we might challenge them to imagine the incalculable odds of all that exists being the result of random chance. Do a rough calculation, and then just keep adding zeros.

We’ll wait.